Red Phoenix Theatre. Holden Street Theatres. 2 Nov 2017
Revolutions begin with words. They are sustained and powered by words as moral motivation and weapons of attack. Vaclav Havel’s The Conspirators was written not long after his works were banned by Communist Czechoslovakia and the brief period of liberalisation from Communist rule of 1968 was brutally repressed by direct Soviet invasion.
Director Michael Eustice’s production wields the comic power of Havel’s words and their darker side with incisive aplomb, delivered by a cast equally adept at balancing the light and deep darkness at the heart of a manipulative, repressive political machine.
Conspiracy is a paranoia born of a revolution seeking to survive and maintain its momentum. Viva la revolution! It comes to life when an uprising threatens an establishing dictatorship, forcing elites to decide where their best safety lies, the public’s more liberal democratic instinct being a side issue.
The survival conspiracy, and its conspirators, are dressed in delightfully bright Liechtenstein 50s inspired costumes by Libby Drake, backgrounded by Nicholas Ely’s white chalk political slogans adorning black walls.
The cheerful visual clash of light and dark is superbly matched in performance and language.
Light hearted pantomime crossed with melodrama is the style, perfectly accenting the very serious and dangerous nature of the proceedings political slogans shade.
Wheels within wheels turn. Well to do widow Helga (Emily Branford), her sister Edith (Martha Lott) and husband, State Prosecutor Dykl (Tony Busch), and Joint Chief of Staff head Major Ofir (Adrian Barnes) find themselves in a dance to manage Colonel Moher, Chief of Police Intelligence (Brant Eustice.)
It’s as thrillingly entertaining as it is a sombre reflection not only of the past, but the present day global political climate. Helga often reinterprets Ofir’s political language to best suit the regime. Her sister’s husband Dykl does his best to play things two ways. Head of Censorship Aram (Nick Fagan) keeps much to himself but is exceedingly polite. All fear Colonel Moher. All are warily working around him, to save themselves by insinuating themselves into power somehow. A family affair, effectively.
Emily Branford and Brant Eustice are magnificent opposites in this dance of power. Branford’s comically flirtatious performance matches well with Eustice’s intense, yet ridiculously bombastic political thug of a character whose words are genuinely dangerous.
Equally effective are the rest of the cast, particularly Martha Lott’s comically risk averse Edith, Adrian Barnes’ affable, easily manipulated Ofir, Tony Busch’s bumbling Dykl and Anna Bampton’s superb character play as Ruth, Dykl’s attractive but possibly dangerous secretary.
The Conspirators successfully reaches the fearful and questioning mind through its humour. It needs no raging anger to make clear the dangers to human dignity and freedom it addresses, given it is borne of a time when such dangers were a brutal reality not needing to be accented. Sadly those times are still with us on the globe, and threaten being unleashed in places least expected.
David O’Brien
When: 2 to 11 Nov
Where: Holden Street Theatres
Bookings: holdenstreettheatres.com
Marie Clark Musical Theatre. The Goodwood Institute. 
Nov 2017
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee tells the story of a charming bunch of eccentric youngsters all vying for the title of the Spelling Bee champion. It’s a feel good musical that reminds us that feeling good about ourselves is way more important that merely winning at all costs, and it is easy to see why the delightful score and lovable characters made the show a winner of nine major American theatre awards including two Tonys. Marie Clark Musical Theatre’s Adelaide production is a lovely rendering of this wonderful show.
Directed by Kristin Telfer in her ‘musical theatre’ directorial debut, with musical direction from Sarah Whiteley in her musical direction debut, one wouldn’t immediately pick that two of the four-strong production team were so green. They are complimented by co-choreographers Rachel Dow and Rebekah Sonelaitken and the result of their efforts is a perfectly pleasing production.
It is the casting which has been the greatest success for Marie Clark’s second 2017 season production. Standing proudly at the helm and with a voice that could melt chocolate, Sarah Wildy gives a stand-out vocal performance that is pivotal to the show’s success. The cast is wonderfully balanced and blend effortlessly. That said there are standouts amongst them whose characterisation or vocal ability shine.
Favourites included Emily-Jo Davidson’s wonderful physicality as Logainne Schwartzandgrubenierre, Ashleigh McFadden’s mucosally challenged characterisation of William Barfee, and Joseph Giblin’s complete disdain for his part as Comfort Councillor, Mitch Mahoney, and hilarious pirouettes! Shay Stonelaitken delivers one of the best performances this reviewer has seen him execute in his multiple roles, including the home-schooled Leaf Coneybear.
Alisa James is beautifully insular as Olive Ostrovsky and does justice to one of music theatre’s most amazing numbers, the I Love You Song, in which Wildy transcends. Naomi Crosby is perfect as Marcy Park, Gus Robson’s unfortunate erection has a life of its own, and Jamie Wright’s Vice Principal Douglas Panch is wonderfully apathetic.
Overall the show is only just shy of an A+, with a few production elements falling short of framing a perfect performance. Lighting by Rodney Bates is a little hit and miss; mostly focussed at the floor it leaves dark patches in the corners and high on the rostrum. Sound – also by Bates – is well balanced but could do with a few notches on the volume. The pace in the opening numbers and in the dialogue between the songs really suffers and could do with being lifted, and a few odd blocking decisions niggle at otherwise lovely staging. These few misgivings aside, Marie Clark Musical Theatre’s production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is simply delightful.
Paul Rodda
When: 27 Oct to 4 Nov
Where: Goodwood Institute
Bookings: trybooking.com
State Opera Of South Australia. Her Majesty’s Theatre. 25 Oct 2017
David Lampard’s Die Fledermaus has much to commend itself, so why isn’t it a winner? More on that later.
With a sparkling Viennese score by Johan Strauss II, Die Fledermaus is essentially a tongue-in-cheek moral story about the downside of hedonism. Without attempting to pen an all-too-brief summary of the story, let it suffice to say that the plot revolves around the infidelities of Eisenstein and his wife Rosalinde who unbeknown to each other are attending the same party, each in disguise of sorts. The twist is that Eisenstein tries to pick up his own wife! While that hilarious situation unfolds, others too are trying their luck in the illicit love stakes, most notably prison governor Frank who tries it on with Rosalinde’s maid Adele. The action concludes in the prison, where penances are doled out and everyone is suitably chastened.
Lampard not only directs the production, he has also designed it (set and costumes) and choreographed it. His talent almost knows no bounds, but on this occasion, he let his enthusiasm a little too much off the leash: the production is at times unbalanced and at other times tiresome because of excessive (mis)use of farce.
Lampard chooses to set the action in Beverly Hills, and he substantially updates the dialogue to capitalise on the excesses and glam of the LA social elite. It works a treat, and provides frequent giggles and guffaws from the enthusiastic audience. There are sufficient references to the parlous state of American politics to give the show some satirical currency. Lamapard’s scenic and costume design reaches its zenith in the ‘Orlovsky’ Act II, which is greatly enhanced by Nathan Luscombe’s classy lighting design. The choreography is fun, and confidently executed – well done movement coach Daniela Taddeo - but its novel ideas never really reached their full potential. The opening prelude to Act I is a case in point. The parade of comic book superhero’s, who are collectively dressed in the colours of the rainbow and may subliminally reference a certain national plebiscite, is fun but it could have been so much more. Strauss’s waltz rhythms scream for more exuberant and (perhaps) more sympathetic choreography.
The singing principals for the most part handle the score confidently, and their acting skills are a delight. Adam Goodburn is superb as Eisenstein, as is Rosanne Hosking as Prince Orlovsky. Lampard’s reference to Conchita Wurst in Hosking’s costume and stage movement is a highlight. Desiree Frahn is a delight as Rosalinda, and she provides the glue that holds Act I together. Andrew Turner plays fabulously comic dual roles as Dr Blind and Falk, and Karina Jay and Sara-Jane Pattichis as Ida and Adele appropriately pull the focus to themselves with their controlled antics.
The State Opera Chorus is in fine voice and Lampard ensures they value-add with numerous points of interest in every crowd scene. The Adelaide Art Orchestra is conducted by Nicholas Brathwaite, and they conquer the score. The singers are never overpowered, but paradoxically the orchestra itself seemed under-powered at times – for example, the Act I overture really needs extra strings.
So why, with so many positive production elements, wasn’t the show a winner? Quite simply, it doesn’t start off “with a bang”, and Act III includes a fifteen-minute sequence of attempted farcical dialogue and mime that is so laboriously executed that it is akin to an enormous sea-anchor being thrown out that almost scuttles the whole production. It really is a shame. Despite his obvious talent, Rod Schultz struggles to keep the momentum up in what really is an over-written section of the text.
This reviewer’s misgivings aside, Die Fledermaus give the punters a fun night out but probably doesn’t delight the purists.
Kym Clayton
When: 24 & 25 Oct
Where: Her Majesty’s Theatre
Bookings: Closed
State Theatre Company of SA. Dunstan Playhouse. 24 Oct 217
She’s a gruff and antisocial old girl living in self-imposed exile in Switzerland where her literary reputation is more feted than it is in her American homeland. She breeds snails and cats as her preferred company.
She is none too pleased when an ambitious underling pilgrimages from her New York publishing house to appeal to the great Patricia Highsmith for just one more story about her best-selling character Tom Ripley. In torrents of expletives, she orders him to leave. But, while he may seem the humble supplicant with his bespectacled, tousled haired appearance, now his foot is in the door he vows not to leave until she signs a commitment.
Here, playwright Joanna Murray-Smith applies some of the tried and true Man Who Comes to Dinner formula and an unsteady balance of power emerges between the famous old author and the young man on a mission. She interrogates him and quickly draws out his unhappy past and he discovers her obsession with weapons and death and myriad ugly prejudices. No one ever said Patricia Highsmith was a nice person. Murray-Smith does not whitewash her.
She is at the end of her life. She is sick. The bed is made but she is not in it yet, she says.
Young Edward inveigles himself as a key to unlocking more Ripley and, indeed, becomes more Ripley. As the 90 minutes of waspish and bitter dialogue evolves, the interpersonal dynamics take on a sinister quality. By now, the playwright has abandoned biographical authenticity and leapt wildly into her own Ripleyesque scenario.
Sandy Gore is a wonderful piece of casting as the embittered and alcoholic literary giant. It is an authoritative and memorable performance. And, her voice, even when the lines are venomous and hostile, is a mellow pleasure on the ear.
Indeed, it is a very wordy play - dense wordiness now hallmark to Murray-Smith works.
The two actors parry neatly, their timing well-honed by director Nescha Jelk.
While Highsmith may give ground to her insistent young visitor, his is the character which must evolve in the most subtle and then emphatic way, so much so that from New York accent, he segues to the sleek well-bred tones of a Bostonian. All this is impeccably delivered by Matt Crook in a simply sublime performance.
Although the play itself challenges the credulity, the set is so expertly wrought that one could simply move in and live there. Alisa Paterson has covered every inch of the expansive stage in a comfortable open-plan living area. Couches and arm chairs sit before a huge stone fireplace which is flanked on one side by the writer’s working area and on the other by dining room table and doors to the rest of the house. The back wall, with a row of small high windows, showcases artworks above extremely long, low bookcases. The intelligentsia chic of it all sings the Frank Lloyd-Wright fashion of multifunction living space and Nigel Levings underscores this eloquently with a very artful lighting for, at its richest showing the changing hues of daylight through the high windows. When cold evening draws in and the fire is light, the scent of wood smoke gently wafts into the auditorium. It is a nice sensurround touch.
Jason Sweeney has added to the theatricality of the work with a soundscape which throws the odd startling thread of mood and wild crescendo into a world of endless talk.
In all, this is a fabulous State Theatre production.
Samela Harris
When: 24 Oct to 5 Nov
Where: Dunstan Playhouse
Bookings: bass.net.au
Tutti Arts and Company AT. Queen’s Theatre. 20 Oct 2017
She is ‘Nameless’; unnamed for the difficult child who does not seem to fit in and worse, ahead of the kids in her class by a long shot she knows more about Einstein and Isaac Newton than a kid her age probably should. What are her parents, teachers and class mates to do with her? How to deal with her and her antisocial behaviour at home and school?
Welcome to the world of a child on the autism spectrum from Company AT (Autism Theatre) in a production cast with actors on the spectrum and in collaboration with other artists with a disability from Tutti Arts.
Director Julian Jaensch’s production fairly rips along at a clipping pace. Lighting Designer Nic Mollison and Sound Designer Sascha Budimski ensure Impersonal Space whips from fabulous scene introductions using multiple cast members straight into the matter of the moment and onwards.
Emily Steel’s script created in collaboration with the cast is rich in frustrating moments across the board; ‘nameless’ only wants pizza for dinner, can’t handle an over-crowded class room, or understand why her classmates treat her as they do. Her parents are at their wits end.
Naming this highly intelligent girl’s ‘skewed’ reality and realising how to manage the unique gifts of one on the autism spectrum is at the core of this hugely entertaining, thought provoking and richly rewarding theatrical experience, three years in the making by those on the spectrum.
A focus on comedy with a very light garnish of music theatre is the essence to the production’s success, handled superbly by Kaila Pole as Nameless, Michael Need as Newton and Mikhael Crossfield as Einstein, and beautifully built upon by the entire ensemble.
Impersonal Space is filled with life, liveliness and wonder, gifted by the serious smarties of our world who need a bit of extra attention and understanding so they can unleash the magic in them, a magic universal to us all.
David O’Brien
When: 19 to 28 Oct
Where: Queen’s Theatre
Bookings: trybooking.com